A Theory of Justice

What is this text?

Seed draft: Rawls' A Theory of Justice revives contract theory through the original position, veil of ignorance, two principles of justice, equal basic liberties, fair equality of opportunity, and the difference principle.

Why does it matter?

Becomes the central twentieth-century liberal theory of justice and the target for libertarian, communitarian, feminist, and race-conscious critiques.

What should I read first?

• Leviathan
• Second Treatise of Government
• The Social Contract

What did it lead to?

• Anarchy, State, and Utopia
• The Racial Contract
• The Sexual Contract

Who does it argue with?

• Anarchy, State, and Utopia